UAE fish identification

Friday, November 28, 2008

The flying gurnard (only known representative of its family), built, in general, on the “sea robin” plan, is remarkable for its enormous pectorals. When it is about half grown or older, these reach nearly to the base of the caudal fin if laid back. When spread, they have the form of enormous rounded fanlike wings. Other conspicuous respects in which the flying gurnard differs noticeably from its relatives, the sea robins, are that the first five or six rays of each pectoral, with their interconnecting membrane, form a separate fin, having no connection with the remainder of the pectoral except at the base; that the few lowermost rays of each pectoral fin are not separate, in the form of feelers, but are continuous with the remainder of the fin; that the first two spines of the dorsal fin are separate, that the bony armor covering the front and top of the head reaches rearward considerably beyond the origin of the dorsal fin on either side to end in a stout spine, that each gill cover is extended rearward as a stout spine about as far as the axil of the pectoral fin, and that the scales are much larger and each armed with a short stout spine.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

This fish evolved after the double glazing frenzy of the 60's and 70's all the old windows were thrown into the sea and this fish abandoned its natural habitat - cats bums and formed a symbiotic relationship with window glass.Identified by Professor Von Salt in the outer reaches of the Salt farm in Scarborough at around 6 meters.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

I thought this was like a snake skin but when I moved it with my pointer it seemed to be alive, nothing inside just the skin. If you look at the far end of this invertebrate you will see some tentacles so that is the front of the animal completely hollow and moves with muscle convulsions, apparently eat a lot of alage and with the infestation at the East Coast not surprising that it is thriving.